Ventura Marital Agreement Attorney

Planning for Your Happy Future

It is always advisable to take charge of your life and prepare for the future. Whatever stage of the marriage process you find yourself in, our legal team has years of relevant experience to help you craft a plan for success.

Prenuptial Agreements

California is a community property state. This means that the legal default is that any assets obtained during a marriage are owned equally by both spouses. The community property also affects how belongings are distributed in the case of the death of one of the partners.

However, through creating a prenuptial agreement with your partner, you are able to make decisions about your property that do not have to follow the state’s community property guidelines. While prenuptial agreements are most often utilized by wealthy couples or those entering subsequent marriages, they are a wise and valid option for any couple looking to maintain full control of their property rights.

Marital Agreements

Postnuptial agreements made during the marriage are unique due to the fiduciary relationship the spouses have as a married couple. This means that both members are required to handle their dealings with the highest form of good faith, revealing all relevant information and operating with full disclosure.

Two examples of the most common form of marital agreements are:

• Transmutation agreement: Changing a piece of property from being separately owned to communally, or vice versa

• Immediate separation agreement: Creating a legal plan for the period between initial separation and finalized divorce

Settlement Agreements

Marital settlement agreements (MSA) are part of the divorce process and address many pertinent concerns such as:

• Custody matters, if relevant
• Support amounts
• Property matters
• Clearly defining both of partners' rights after termination of marriage

Laws in California

The state of California has a complicated list of requirements that must be addressed with every type of marital agreement listed above. There are protections in place for the rights of children involved, rules that come into play with the existence of legal agreements from prior marriages, and many other state-specific issues that require a nuanced understanding of the law.

It is vital to have a trusted legal advisor assist you throughout these processes. With reasonable rates and payment plans available, our Ventura family lawyers at the Zahn Law Office want you to know you can get high-quality service without breaking the bank.